HAVANA, Feb 14 (NNN-ACN) — The review of the results of President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s visit to Algiers last November and the conclusion of new bilateral cooperation agreements are the objectives of the 23rd Session of the Algeria-Cuba Joint Intergovernmental Commission, opened Monday in Havana.
With the presence of Ricardo Cabrisas, Cuban deputy prime minister, the delegation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, headed by Abdelhak Saihi, minister of health, population and hospital reform, is participating in the meeting.
Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuban minister of foreign trade and investment (MINCEX by its Spanish acronym), extended greetings from the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the coutry.
Malmierca pointed out that the exchanges between the organizations, on the occasion of the 23rd Session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, constitute a propitious scenario to assess the development of ties in these areas, and he referred to the current complex international scenario.
He explained to the representatives of the Algerian people and government how much the tightened US blockade, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Europe have impacted the Cuban economy, and how in spite of this the country, with the contribution of its scientists and health personnel, has been able to move forward and put its best experiences at the disposal of the world.
According to the head of MINCEX, currently 18 Cuban national agencies and entities have direct participation, to a greater or lesser extent, in relations with the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, and they are joined by a group of companies in different sectors, which Tuesday will participate in the bilateral business forum.
Malmierca thanked the Algerian government and people for sending a solar photovoltaic park of 20 megawatts and 180 tons of food after the natural disasters in Cuba.
For his part, Abdelhak Saihi expressed his gratitude to the Cuban authorities for the warm welcome to his delegation, and stressed the high level of relations between the two countries for more than 60 years, characterized by friendship and cooperation.
He further stated that the work of the commission will make it possible to evaluate existing relations and review the recommendations proposed at the previous session in 2019, in Algeria.
Divided into sub-commissions, the parties will address issues such as youth and sports; higher education, environment, scientific research and innovation; agriculture, fisheries and sugar industry; health, pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology; as well as tourism, arts, crafts, cultural and creative industries, radio and television.
Tomorrow will be the final session of the 23rd Session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission, where the agreements agreed upon during the sub-commission meetings will be signed. — NNN-ACN
